Secondaries have been seeing an increase in numbers prompted by a spike in the birth rate in the early 2000s, that is now making its way through the school system.

The Press Association's survey, sent to councils across the country, excluding London, suggests that many authorities are beginning to feel a squeeze, with figures from 22 of the 33 councils that responded by early afternoon showing an increase in applications.

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Malcolm Trobe of the Association of School and College Leaders said it was a 'mathematical certainty' that families would miss out on their top choice

Just five have seen a drop, while there were no comparisons available for the others.

The early data also shows that of these councils, 10 have seen a fall in the proportion of children getting their first preference, while in four areas the proportion is the same, and in 12 the percentage has risen.

There was no comparable data for the others.

Some authorities gave data for pupils living in the area, and others total figures for all applications to their schools.

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Some education experts put the shortage of secondary school places down to an increase in the birth rate in the early 2000sCredit: Alamy

In Birmingham, 71.42% got their first preference, meaning that around 29%, nearly three in 10, were given another option.

The council said that the proportion of Birmingham pupils getting their first preference was up almost 3% on last year.

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Many authorities are starting to feel a squeeze in terms of an increase in applications for secondary school placesCredit: Corbis - Getty

Figures for Liverpool show that 71% of pupils got their top pick of secondary school, the same proportion as last year.

At the other end of the spectrum, the survey indicates that in East Riding, around 97% of pupils got their first choice, along with 96% in both Barnsley and Hartlepool.

Peter John, deputy chair of London Councils, said: "The number of pupils starting secondary school in London is growing, and with 94% of the capital's schools rated good or outstanding by Ofsted, it is no surprise that parents are keen to send their children to school in London.

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"London boroughs are working with their local schools to respond to this increased demand so that all pupils have access to a high quality education.

"Despite a 4.4% increase in applications compared to last year, equivalent to 3,908 additional applications, boroughs have successfully offered 93% of children a place at one of their preferred schools."

Ahead of National Offer Day, Malcolm Trobe, deputy general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), told the Press Association that providing enough places was a complex issue, and that in areas where there were not enough places it was a "mathematical certainty" that families would miss out on their top choice.

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